Paradoxical Hypertrichosis after Laser Therapy

OBJECTIVES: In numerous cultures, unwanted hair is considered a common aesthetic problem. For hair removal, the use of lasers is a common medical procedure that is comparatively safe and has few side effects. Paradoxical hypertrichosis has been reported rarely in previous studies. The aim of this study was to find out the frequency of paradoxical hypertrichosis after laser treatment. METHODOLOGY: This cross sectional study was done for a period of one year from January 2020 to January 2021. This study was conducted at Al-Shifa Clinic and Skin Aesthetic, Nowshera, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.  All those patients who go-through the laser hair removal were included in the study. Diode laser with 808nm wavelength was used. All the patients were observed for paradoxical hypertrichosis after laser treatment.  RESULTS: Total 140 patients underwent laser hair removal during a one-year study. There were 120 females and 20 male in our study. The mean age of male was 28±1.2 while the mean age of females was 26±1.4. Amongst 140 patients, the overall prevalence of paradoxical hypertrichosis after laser treatment was 7.8% (n=11). This side effect was observed dominantly on the neck and face. Skin phototype III and 1V were observed with this side effect. CONCLUSION: Our research study concludes that paradoxical hypertrichosis occurs rarely after laser therapy. Study with high sample size and risk factors should be done for better understanding.